Large eddy simulation of the flow around a simplified car model

Abstract

Aim of the ongoing development of passenger cars is to predict the interior acoustics early in the development process. A significant noise component results from the flow phenomena in the area of the side window. The complex turbulent flow field in the wake of the a-pillar and the side mirror is characterized by velocity and pressure fluctuations. The flow field results in sound sources which transmit noise into the passenger cabin. In addition to that, it excites the structure, resulting in a radiation of structure-borne noise into the interior of the car. In the present work, as a first step in solving this three part problem, a Large Eddy simulation (LES) of the flow was conducted to investigate the sound generation due to external air turbulence. For this purpose, a simplified model of an automobile was used.